If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either located in or near the Katy area in Texas. If not, then maybe it’s time to consider moving there 🙂 Much to offer a vibrant community, including great outdoor sports. But how does one go about marketing an online store in Katy, Texas? Let’s find out.

Develop A Strategy

One of the first things you should do is sit down and create a strategy. Just because you have an idea for a website doesn’t mean you’ll be able to market it successfully. You need to have a clear idea of how you’re going to tackle this project and what you need to do to get the most from it. You can’t just walk into a retail store and expect customers to flock to your side. You need to have some sort of marketing plan in place before you start doing anything.

Luckily, you have an entire year to work on this plan. Use this time to develop a strategy for marketing your site. Begin by brainstorming everything you can think of that might help you market your site. Make a note of everything you can possibly do and try not to miss any crucial point. You’ll be glad you did. Once you have your list of ideas, it’s time to pare it down to the most effective ones. You can either do this by yourself or find a few good friends to help you. The goal is to have a final list of tasks that you can implement to move forward with this strategy.

Determine The Product You’ll Sell

You don’t need to have all the products determined before you start marketing the site. In fact, it’s a good idea to leave some options open. Your product options should be based on what makes the most sense for your business. One of the best things about e-commerce websites is they usually allow you to create as many products as you want. This makes it easy for you to determine what to sell without feeling limited by how many existing products the company offers. It also means you can easily create new products to fit a growing business.

If you have a clear idea of what you’ll sell on your site, then your product options will be much easier to choose from. You can narrow your options down to what your business needs while still leaving room for new products to be added later. If you’re still confused, then ask the vendor for help. They can guide you toward the right products for your business. Remember, they know their products better than anyone else.

Decide On The Name

You might have an idea for a business but unless you can find a name that’s already been used, you’ll need to come up with something new. Use your short list of products to help you come up with a name that isn’t already in use. You can also ask your customers for help. Get their opinion on the names you’ve come up with and see which one catches on the most. After you’ve decided on a name, then you can use it for marketing material such as a website name or business card. You should also register the name with your local business authority. This will prove to any potential customers that you’re the actual owner of the business.

Create The Website

You need to have a functioning website before you can start marketing it. Don’t waste your time with a static home page. Craft a full, functional website that will allow you to showcase your products clearly and effectively. Include things like a pricing table, descriptions of each product, and pictures of the products. If you’re missing any of those essentials, then it’s time to go back and rework this part of the plan. There are a lot of templates available online that you can use to help you create a functional and attractive website in no time.

Get The Lawyer Okamoto Onboard

Once you have a functional website, then it’s time to get creative with the legal side of things. The most important thing you need to do is register your website with your local business authority. You don’t need to have a lawyer draw up the documents. There are a number of reputable firms that do this for a living. All you need to do is provide them with the website URL and they’ll take care of the rest. Most companies won’t charge you a penny for this service. What’s more, the paperwork you need to sign isn’t complicated and only takes a few minutes to complete.

Once your business authority has reviewed your application and given you the all clear, then you can move forward with setting up your website. You’ll need to decide on a host, or in this case, hosts. The web host is the company that hosts your website. This is the company that will give you access to your website’s domain. Make sure you work with a good host, otherwise, you’ll experience problems with your website.

Set Up The Payment Processing

You’ve decided on a product range and a name for your business. You have a functioning website. Now, it’s time to set up the payment processing for your store. You need to have a merchant account with a payment processing company. This is the company that will handle all the transactions you make using their payment gateway.

You can do this through a third-party payment processor. Alternatively, you can set up a payment processing account with a bank. You’ll need to set this up in advance so make sure you do this before you start getting orders. Otherwise, you can’t process payments through the account. The key thing to keep in mind is you need to work with a company that is PCI compliant. PCI stands for the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. This is a security measure implemented by the major credit card companies. The standard requires businesses that process card payments to protect the personal information of their customers. Basically, if you process any credit cards then you need to be PCI compliant.

Start Using The Web To Market Your Business

With the above tips in mind, you can start using the web to market your business. You’ll need to set up your website with a domain that will stay active for the next 12 months. To keep your website active during that time, you’ll need to make sure you renew it every year. What’s more, you’ll need to implement the above tips into your marketing plan and build a following. You can’t expect customers to find your website if you don’t advertise it. This is where organic SEO comes in. Make sure you work with a reputable SEO company to get the most from your website. In addition to this, you can use social media to promote your website. Be sure to use every available social media account to ensure the maximum reach. What’s more, don’t forget about email marketing either. You can take advantage of the contact list you built up over the years and start communicating with potential customers. Keep sending out regular emails with helpful tips and information about your products. Most importantly, make sure you update your social media accounts with new content often. If you have a blog, make sure you update it with helpful information and resources for your customers. What’s more, you can also write a guide on something specific to help others who might be searching for answers. These tips will help you get the most out of your website.